1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ways of stabilizing dispersions of behenyl alcohol, to create improved pearlizing compositions which can be stable at room temperature.
2. Background of the Invention
The stabilization and use of behenyl alcohol is described in a variety of references.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,728 to Kawa et al describes pumpable cationic fatty alcohol dispersion with a low content of cationic dispersant. The dispersion is made with 0.01–1 weight % of a cationic surfactant containing a quaternary ammonium, pyridinium or imidazolinium group and a linear C8–22 alkyl or 2-hydroxyalkyl group.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,660 to Blackman et al describes gel bases for pharmaceutical compositions comprising behenyl alcohol and a glycol or selected ethoxylated solvent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,657 to Ansheer-Jackson et al describes hair conditioning compositions which provide cleaner hair than others based on quaternary ammonium compounds and lipid materials. The primary thickening agent is a nonionic long chain alkylated cellulose ether. A fatty alcohol such as behenyl alcohol is used as a conditioning agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,100 to Picard et al describes an oil-in-water emulsion containing an auto-emulsifiable composition based on a fatty alcohol and on an alkyl polyoside and a co-emulsifying agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,920 to Wanatabe et al describes a surfactant-free emulsion comprising a higher alcohol which is a solid at room temperature, an acrylic acid-methacrylic acid alkyl copolymer and a silicone oil.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,416 to Wagner et al describes stable topical compositions comprising a stable, hydrophobic, structuring agent (which can include behenyl alcohol), and a hydrophilic surfactant.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,066 to Sakuta et al describes an oil-in-water aqueous organopolysiloxane emulsion comprising a quaternary ammonium chloride having 1 or 2 stearyl or behenyl groups.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,274,130 to Murray et al describes a rinse off conditioning product for hair comprising a cationic surfactant, a selected emulsion polymerized dimethiconol nonionic conditioning polymer, which composition can optionally include behenyl alcohol.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,946 to Sonneville et al describes a nanoemulsion based on mixed esters of a fatty acid or fatty alcohol, of a carboxylic acid and of a glycerol.
Behenyl alcohol has seen a variety of uses in personal care products, particularly for hair care. It is an object of the invention to provide stabilized forms of behenyl alcohol which are useful as pearlizing agents and which are easier to use than conventional types of behenyl alcohol compositions.